Leben
by DeinHerz
Summary: Makoto's sudden departure from Japan to America has caused newfound problems in his life. Follow Makoto as he moves to America and possibly back to Japan in the future to deal with the status quo of his life.


**Vergangenheit**

"Kotonoha, Sekai" Makoto called to his two friends as the end of the day neared and their hangout session was coming to a conclusion.

"What's wrong?" Kotonoha questioned, evidently confused.

"Hear me out and don't blame me for what I'm going to say because I pondered about this for a bit before deciding upon a conclusion to reveal some grave news to both of you." Makoto looked at both girls with a neutral expression.

"Well?" Sekai demanded wanting to know the answer as well as Kotonoha.

Makoto took in a deep breath and exhaled to calm his ambivalent thoughts, fearing what reaction the girls would give in response to his momentous news, "My parents both were accepted to a highly successful company in the United States of America and they wish to move to America where they will both work. Furthermore, they seem very adamant about moving since this is a one in a lifetime opportunity for them. I think we've gone past the point of no return"

Naturally, both girls had expressions of disbelief drawn upon their faces, "Makoto! Why didn't you tell us sooner?! This is just too sudden!" Sekai said.

Kotonoha was more shocked than Sekai, "I... Just... Why Makoto is this happening?"

Makoto looked at the ground in self-loathing, "I'm sorry. I just thought that it would be better for us to play together without always having the looming thought of my departure date becoming more evident as the days pass."

Sekai was still shaking her head and had an emotional look upon her face, "I feel like crying right now because you are my closest and the most personal friend I know and speaking for Kotonoha, you mean everything to her."

Silence overtook the atmosphere.

"… When are you leaving Makoto?" Kotonoha whispered, silently praying for a good answer.

Makoto cringed, this would not be good.

"Unfortunately that's also another bad piece of news," both girls' hearts stopped, "I'm going to be leaving tomorrow in the early morning, but you can come see me if you want. I'd be glad to see both of your faces before I leave for America."

"If your parents were hired by a major company, I assume you're going to be staying in America for at least 5 years?" Sekai said using logic.

"More than five years, my parents are bound to an eight year contract by the company" Makoto corrected.

"… Makoto, do you think you will ever come back to see us again?" Kotonoha said on the verge of tears – the news too much for her fragile persona to handle.

"Of course Kotonoha I will! I would never stop thinking about both of you, ever!"

"Liar! I recognize that deceptive tone anywhere Makoto! You may mistake me for just another naïve girl, but I know you better than almost anyone else! Don't go back to being that Makoto!" Sekai blindly shouted, angered at seeing Kotonoha's heart shriveling up at Makoto's poisonous news.

"Sekai, I – "

"Please, just – this is too much for both of us to handle. This is not like you Makoto, why are you doing this to us?" Sekai begged her friend.

Makoto was about to open his mouth, but his face took a very melancholy expression as he gazed upon Kotonoha and Sekai's teary and depressed faces.

"We were both trying to act strong for you Makoto… but even this is too sudden!" Sekai once again shouted, her tears flowing.

Makoto was shocked at her outburst and slowly backed away from both of the girls and eventually walked away from them to his house.

Sekai saw Makoto's retreating form and clenched her teeth angrily.

"That's right Makoto! Run from us… Run like the… bastard you are!" Sekai continuously shouted.

His pace quickened as Sekai shouted faster and faster and soon, her voice became a faint muffle.

* * *

When Makoto arrived home, both of his parents were discussing about what they would do in their first few days of America, but his entrance got their attention and they called him over. He quickly dropped his saddened expression so his parents wouldn't get suspicious.

"Hey Makoto, we were just finalizing our plans about America" Makoto's dad said with evident excitement about moving to the country.

Makoto himself was actually a little curious about what his lifestyle would be in America, "Mom, dad can you tell me where we'll live, what kind of school I'll attend? You know, the stuff that is relevant to me"

"Ah that's good that you share the excitement I have about America Makoto! Sure, we'll tell you everything, just sit down with us!" Makoto's dad smiled.

As soon as Makoto sat in a chair next to his dad, his father started talking.

"You'll go to a public school obviously, but it's a very good one and you don't have to worry about any entrance exams since America has a different approach from Japan concerning schooling. We'll live in a normal 2-story house, but compared to the typical apartments here in Japan, it's quite a large house that would cost many millions here. Surprisingly, it costs only about four hundred thousand over there and I was quite shocked at the prices and deals they were offering, but I didn't really want to overdo it on –"

"Alright dad, I get it, but which state out of the fifty are we going to?" Makoto stated, curious.

Makoto's dad smiled, "I'll leave that a secret for you to ponder on until we land at the state's airport"

Makoto groaned and his dad laughed a hearty laugh.

Makoto's facial expression turned serious, "Kotonoha and Sekai did not act very positive towards me. In fact, there was some hostility in them when I told the news, it wasn't immediate, but it was like a time bomb and they lost it after our conversation continued. I didn't know what to do so I walked away from the killer intent that was coming from Sekai. Kotonoha on the other hand was sobbing her eyes out."

Makoto's dad became serious as well, "Good, I don't like how those two girls are attached to you. They seem very suspicious to me and while I would encourage you to interact with girls, I would not interact with both of them so much Makoto."

"I don't know dad, I just feel really bad right now and the emptiness in my stomach will not go away for a while I fear."

Makoto's dad put an arm around his son and said in a fatherly tone, "It's okay Makoto. They are a bad influence and you should not be around them because they can cause unnecessary feeling in you like they just did today. Besides, we're going to America, so you won't see them anymore"

Makoto appeared like he was going to say something in defense of the girls, but he adhered to his father's advice like an obedient child.

"Now my son, let's go to bed early so we can wake up rested enough to survive the long day ahead of us tomorrow"

Makoto obeyed and launched into his usual routine to retire for the day.

* * *

5:00 A.M

Makoto could faintly hear Gustav Mahler's Adagietto from his 5th Symphony play from his phone as an alarm. He turned it off, got out of bed and stretched his stiff joints as he did his usual routine when he woke up.

He grabbed his enormous suitcases from his room and followed his parents out into the cool, dark night.

They Itou family turned around and viewed their house for what may be the last time. No words were spoken; they just got into the taxi cab in silence as they drove towards the Haneda airport.

Makoto was nervous and was pondering about possible situations; would he see Kotonoha and Sekai? He brushed it off since it was so was so early in the morning and he didn't give the girls the exact time his flight was to depart which was at 6:30 and the school semester was not over yet, but he would be on guard for them nevertheless.

They arrived at the airport with ample time; however, since it was so early, they couldn't enjoy the services that the airport usually offered during the day, so they quickly got through security and patiently waited at the gate for their aircraft to arrive.

Makoto was still feeling groggy from skewing his sleep schedule, so he dozed off into a state of slumber.

* * *

When Makoto slowly gained consciousness, he checked his watch and it read 6:25, only five minutes until the plane would start boarding. He glanced over at the window and sure enough, the aircraft was on the tarmac with many of the ground crew loading supplies for the 14 hour trip to America. Makoto then had an epiphany, but his dad saw his expression before Makoto glanced over at the arrival destination.

"No, we're not going to San Francisco, besides a four hundred thousand house is a really poor quality house over in California according to a couple of real estate agents I've contacted. We'll be taking a connecting flight to our destination and you'll know by the time we get to the gate of our connecting flight."

Makoto only stared off into space and waited patiently for the boarding to begin.

Their flight was now starting to board passengers from first class and as soon as the first class passengers were all settled in, they called for the first few aisles from the economy and the Itou family stood up to board the plane. When they approached the ticket receptionist, they all handed their tickets and were allowed to board. As soon as they approached the door to enter the jet way, Makoto heard a loud shout.

"Makoto! You stop right there!" it was the familiar voice of Sekai.

Makoto turned around, momentarily dazed at the loud voice that rang across the silent airport in the morning and sure enough there was Sekai with Kotonoha looking straight at Makoto. How they got past the security he did not know, but it probably had to do with Kotonoha's father being a prominent figure in Japan, so they probably could get by easily using Kotonoha's heritage. Also, he was wondering how they knew he was going to be at the airport at this time, but he thought of about Kotonoha's dad and how she probably got the information from him by using persuasion.

Makoto dropped his head, "I'm sorry, but this was probably the last time we'll be seeing each other for a very long time."

Makoto's dad pushed Makoto to the jet way, "Come on Makoto, we don't want to hold up the other passengers"

Kotonoha's silent voice made it to Makoto's ears, "Makoto, I may never have told you this, but I love you and will always love you. Please, come back for me in the future."

Sekai was shocked. She never knew that Kotonoha had feeling for Makoto. All she could mutter out was a word supporting Kotonoha's sentence as well as an apology, "...Please… I'm sorry for the outburst yesterday Makoto – please forgive me"

Makoto looked at both of them once more and said bluntly, "I'm sorry, I may or may not come back, but I hope you two can forgive me and possibly move on so you will not have to be so depressed." with that statement, Makoto and his mother and father entered the jet way to board the plane. Makoto dared not to turn back around and look at the girls' faces for fear their reactions might be too much for him to handle.

When he got to his seat on the plane, he saw Sekai and Kotonoha looking out the window and he stared at them the entire time pondering if what he said was the right thing. Both girls seemed to not move at all from the window, he guessed they would stay there until the plane would no longer be in sight. He sighed loudly.

He heard the flight attendants announce a cross check of the plane and gave a signal that the plane is ready for departure. He felt a bump and the plane was towed and started to taxi to the runway.

He always kept his eyes on Sekai and Kotonoha until he was too far away to see them. He wondered what they were thinking at the moment.

The plane stopped at the end of the runway.

The captain announced to the passengers they were ready for takeoff.

The plane did just that and they were in the airspace of Japan heading for the United States of America.

While in the air, Makoto pondered about his past with Kotonoha and Sekai. They've known each other since the beginning of Highschool which was two years ago, so they've gathered lots of memories together as friends, but he never knew that Kotonoha went so far as to cross the line between a lover and a friend. The information simply made the feeling in his stomach become much worse and he contemplated his actions yesterday and today. He would not see them for at least another decade and his last words were cold and harsh.

It was too early, but he thought about what he was doing and said to both girls when he got back to Japan. Would he care to look for them? Would they already be married and already moved on from him? The questions seemed to create a sense of sadness in Makoto as the plane reached cruising altitude and would remain above the clouds for the next thirteen hours.

He blamed his emotions for his mixed responses he gave to Sekai and Kotonoha. It seemed that everything he said was indeed out of his character and he came down to a single thought of: would they ever forgive what I did today?

Only time would tell… and it's going to be a hell of a long time before he would know.

* * *

A/N: Yes, here's a confused Makoto just like in the anime – his thoughts being overly ambivalent and awkward, but I have my plans for the future of the story and while you might not like that Makoto is like in the anime for the beginning of this story, he's going to change and I'll keep my word on that. I hope this won't turn out to be an easily guessable story, so I'll add some twists – or not we'll have to see. Also, sorry this beginning chapter is a bit rushed, they usually are and the progress will become much better as we get deeper into the plot.

Also, I'd strongly encourage you to listen to the Gustav Mahler 5th Symphony: Adagietto – I think it actually portrays the plot line of School Days accurately and captures all the moments: from the peaceful beginning of the Adagietto that can be said for the peaceful beginning of School Days. As well as the intense peak of the Adagietto that seems to capture the intensity of the moment when Sekai stabs Makoto.

-DeinHerz


End file.
